Happy Monday loves. I hope you all had a wonderful and restful weekend. We saw temps top out at 106 here in Sacramento. Your girl loves summer, but that was just brutal!
Lets talk kitchens, my friends. More specifically: the galley kitchen. When we made the decision to downsize we knew several major things would be different about our next home in comparison to our last. One of which being the shift from a large open concept kitchen, into one with a much smaller footprint. This didn't bother me at all, surprisingly. After realizing I only used a small portion of our last kitchen on a regular basis, the idea of going to something smaller didn't completely terrify me.
Knowing we wanted a home built in the 50s or 60s meant most likely we'd end up in a galley style kitchen. While this is probably the least desirable kitchen footprint for the vast majority, its actually one of my favorites. They are compact, efficient, and offer the perfect layout for folks looking for a good "working triangle". Since I'm a non-open concept kitchen fan, I also like that they are often tucked out of sight.
The house we are on track to own has a galley kitchen. The only negative is its TINY. So tiny it was almost a complete deal breaker for me when considering whether or not to pull the trigger and put in an offer. Were it not for the fact that we loved the general layout of the rest of the house, and its ideal lot size, it woulda been enough to send me running for the hills.
I've been thinking of ways to make a small galley kitchen seem mighty, and I'm loving the way these spaces really capitalize on their abilities to be awesome:
- Say YES to Color! - Just because its small, doesn't mean it has to be boring!
-Use those Walls! -Seek out any opportunity for clever storage
Love the window shelves. This is an especially good solution if your kitchen window has a less than desirable view.
-Splurge a little! - A smaller space means less product needed, which means using higher end finishes and materials can often be more affordable than you'd think. Its a great opportunity to install those marble countertops, custom cabinetry, or that custom inlay backplash design. Plus with so little of the budget devoted to materials it could be a great chance to splurge on pro-grade appliances.
Do you have a galley kitchen? Have any clever ideas to maximize space?
Until next time....
Xo-Shavonda
Love them all. Since I grew up in Germany, I'm used to kitchens like this. Almost nobody has an open kitchen.
ReplyDeleteI love a good galley. For whatever reason they seem more efficient to me and you can pack a lot of style in that little space.
ReplyDeleteWe have a galley kitchen, and I love it! You got it right on point: It's so efficient. To maximize our space and keep it feeling a little more open, we took the cabinets all the way to the ceiling, and I stuck with pretty much an all-white color scheme. As much as I love color, I love, love, love the all white in the kitchen. It keeps everything feeling clean...even when it's not (which is most of the time). Can't wait to see where you end up!
ReplyDeletethat first kitchen is one i ripped out of a magazine years ago and has been a long time favorite!!!! love love love! can't wait to see what you do.
ReplyDeleteAhhhhh, those floors in pics 3 & 7!!! I can't get enough of that herringbone style! I'm so excited about your future galley kitchen. I'm looking forward to some inspiration for my rental galley kitchen.
ReplyDeleteSince I've already gotten a sneak peak at your new space, I can say I'm super excited for you!! For me, as long as the kitchen has a good foot print big or tiny that's what matters for me! I love our small kitchen, and still learning ways to use all the little space we do have in a more thoughtful less cluttered way
ReplyDeleteI had sort of an expanded galley kitchen in our last house and actually didn't really mind it at all. Sometimes I miss that compact work triangle. Great inspiration here!
ReplyDeleteColor and high end materials really make these spaces special. I know your new place will sport an awesome galley kitchen when you are through!
ReplyDeleteThe idea that you can splurge on materials because the space is so small is really the beauty of small space design, don't you think? I think the key with a galley kitchen is to make sure that the back wall (the dead end) is beautiful focal point, be it a stove with a nice hood, prettily displayed shelves, or art.
ReplyDeleteThese do seem super efficient and I love them with an opening or window!
ReplyDeleteI have a small kitchen and I've hung a few small mirrors throughout to reflect light from the window & help the space look larger. It sounds crazy, but it works! If I could, I would do a mirrored backsplash.
ReplyDeleteI love me a good galley kitchen! I think if its full of light, there's no going wrong. I cant wait to see what you do!
ReplyDeleteLove all of these! Such wonderful inspiration!
ReplyDeleteLauren,
http://www.atouchofsoutherngrace.com/
I have a small 8x9 ft U shaped kitchen layout. I love it. I have cabinets to the ceiling and plenty of counter space. If I had to change anything I'd get a counter depth fridge but the one I have now is nice too. I use sheer window coverings to let the light in and colorful exercises. Just have to keep the counters clear to prevent a cluttered look. Small kitchens just feel so cozy and efficient. With nice colors and materials it can be a little jewel box.
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